Fanwood Council Primary Candidate: Jay Morris

FANWOOD, NJ — Jay Morris is one of four candidates running for council in the Fanwood primary election being held on Tuesday, June 4.

Morris along with Brian Walter are both vying for the Republican ticket while Katherine Mitchell and Kevin Boris are both vying for the Democratic ticket. There are two council seats up for grabs.

Jeffrey Banks is also running as a democrat for the unexpired council seat. And current Mayor Colleen Mahr is also running for re-election unopposed.

All candidates are vying for their party's nomination on June 4 and then will move on to the general election on Nov. 5.

Jay Morris

Description:

My name is Jay Morris. I am 24 and have called Fanwood my home for approximately 22 years. I attended McGinn Elementary, Terrill Middle School, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, Union County College, and Rutgers University-Newark. I played organized soccer for Scotch Plains-Fanwood for more than 10 years.

What experience do you have that would help you serve?

I am an active member in the community by volunteering at Evangel Church on Terrill Road in Scotch Plains. I am on the media team and a youth leader. I frequently participate in large community service projects with my church.

I received my Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers, where I studied business management and supply chain management. I graduated Summa Cum Laude and received the Department of Management and Global Business Award, which is given to only one management major each year. I have worked in the sales and management field for the past two years now.

Through all of this, I have developed excellent listening skills and learned what it means to serve with everything I have. At my job, I set goals and then organize my team and utilize our strengths to achieve them. I understand how to work through disagreements to make a decision that benefits everyone. These are qualities that I believe are essential to being a successful town council member.

What issues would you like to address in Fanwood?

A big issue for me is property taxes. New Jersey has by far the highest average property taxes in the United States and Union County ranks in the top 10 counties in the entire country. These are certainly not things to be proud of. As a young person, I find the dream of one day owning a home slowly dying if I continue to live in New Jersey. We need to do better for my generation and the ones to come by making this town more affordable.

Why should voters vote for you?

I am running because there are people in the town who do not feel like their voices are heard. Our town has been a one-party town for several years now. I want to avoid the group think mentality on town council. As a management professional, I understand how important disagreement is to make a decision that benefits the most people possible.

Being a young Fanwoodian who is fiscally conservative, gives me a unique perspective when compared to the other councilmen and councilwomen. I was disappointed in finding out about the sewer tax just days after the election this past November. I promise to provide the people of Fanwood with a maximum amount of transparency.

— (If you are a candidate and would like to participate in the profile, email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com)

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